Ericsson 4 har åter tagit ledningen i Volvo Ocean Race första delsträcka och ligger nu i ledningen, 9 Nm före Puma. Trea är fortfarande Green Dragon, som ligger 34 Nm efter Ericsson 4. Anders Lewander med Ericsson 3 ligger på sjätte plats, 63 Nm efter ledaren.
Här är Ericsson 4:s senaste pressrelease:
ERICSSON 4 LEG ONE DAY 18 QFB: Received 28.10.08 1104 GMT
You all get to see the footage of these Volvo 70’s surfing down waves at break-neck speeds and plowing their way through the ocean to their next port of call, but what you don’t get to see is the life down below the deck….which can be as extreme!!!
I have just come off my morning watch 6 -10am, so I thought I would give you a brief description of what happens in the 20 minutes prior to going on deck. I could get up earlier and have more time for all this, but sleep is king!!!
0540 – Get woken up by Blood (Phil Jameson). Usually with some sort of crass remarks, followed by a brief description of what is going on outside with regards to conditions and general performance of the boat. This is the most important time of the pre-watch period. I am normally the guy at home who drives my wife nuts by hitting the snooze button three times before actually getting up. No time for that here. The race is on…for the toilet. You could set your watch by my body clock, and at 0542, I need the toilet pretty bad. The unfortunate thing is my watch mate, Joca (Joao Signorini), needs it as well and sometimes one or two of the other 11 guys on board. The only advantage I have is my bunk is further forward, so I generally beat them all to it.
So, out of the bunk. This is about 7 feet in the air and some minor acrobatics are involved there I can tell you, to make sure I don’t land on the guy sleeping 2 feet below me, or the puddle of water that has accumulated in the bilge below our bunks. Tip toe to the toilet dodging all the puddles without slipping and breaking your neck, or getting your thermal underwear wet.
0548 – Finish toilet programme (that’s a story in itself which I won’t go into). Head via galley to grab a bowl of porridge, and then proceed as far back in the boat as I can to have my breakfast and start to get changed. All the weight on board needs to be near the back of the boat when going downwind in these sorts of conditions. Helps to prevent nose diving….hopefully!
0555 – Back to the galley to rinse the bowl. Back to the hanger where all our wet weather gear is hung. Double check you have enough clothing on without over doing it. You don’t want to sweat too much in these conditions. Finish getting dressed, and lose your balance, placing your dry foot and sock into the puddle of water mentioned above….! Get over it, both boots will be wet in a matter of an hour or so.
Dave Endean – pitman
Foto: Ericsson Racing Team.
